A Wineday Wednesday Hiatus

My Wineday Wednesday posts will be going on hiatus for several weeks, to observe our promise for lent which, this year, is two-fold; I'm giving up booze and processed sugar (and by processed sugar, I mean desserts - not necessarily packaged foods that have sugar in them, which I try to avoid buying too often anyway).

Wait, Becca, aren't you Jewish?

I think I've already explained my religious background but to recap; I was raised Jewish, but I celebrate Christmas and Easter and various other non-Jewish holidays (because my dad is catholic). But this lenten promise isn't really about subscribing to Lent. It's about resetting my system.

Recalibrating, we'll say.

Lent is just a good excuse to have a pre-set amount of time to go through this recalibration. The season is (slowly) changing to spring, my body is starting to get ready to come out of my dark beer and sugar-laden hibernation. It's time to give my body a much needed cleanse!

So for the next 40 days (and 40 nights) I'm going to

• not consume any adult beverages. They can be replaced with beverages that make my body happy and healthy. Like fresh juice (I just bought 10 lbs of apples and 5 lbs of oranges) and home brewed kombucha...and WATER!
• avoid desserts that involve lots of processed sugar: chocolate, ice cream, cake to name a few. Fruits are definitely not off limits though!

I'm also going to make sure I dry rub and do the neti pot at least once a day AND start my day with a glass of lemon water, so I can keep everything moving through me.

So, in light of this, I am putting my Wineday Wednesday posts on hiatus until after Easter. Don't worry though, I promise that I'll post everything that I learned at our wine tasting class...I've just been lazy and haven't gotten around to doing it yet!

Last year at this time, I had a serious cereal addiction. I know that sounds silly, but I ate an ungodly amount of cereal. So I decided to give it up for lent. Not eating any cereal for 40 days really put it into perspective for me...I realized I didn't want or need that much cereal in my life. I eat it now, but not nearly in the same volumes or at the inappropriate times of day (one box of cereal for dessert, please!) that I used to.

I am hoping I gain the same thing out of giving up booze and desserts this year - a little perspective. I need to gain a little control over these things in my life and that is why I'm giving them up for Lent. 

Are you giving up anything for Lent? If you don't observe Lent, what would you give up if you did?

Peace, Love & Bagels, 

Wineday Wednesday: Root:1 Carmenere

Confession: I have been wanting to try this wine for a while now, but I only bought this wine because it was on sale.

Root:1
2008 Carmenere
Casablanca Valley, Chile


I loved the "easy" feeling of this wine. At first it was sweet and after a second or two, you'd get hit with it's bold, spicy flavors. It was pretty glorious. I think I'm biased towards South American red wines though, so take all of this with a grain of salt. This bottle was very similar to a Zinfindel, with a little less "zing". Directly from the Root:1 website:


"Tasting Notes: Deep red in color with gentle and silky tannins and rich flavors of ripe plum, blackberry, vanilla and spice."

According to the internet, this bottle is about $10, but whenever I see it in the grocery stores, it's closer to $15 or $18. When I bought it, it was on sale for $12.49 or something like that (wow, writing this is making me feel like a cheapskate) so I finally gave it a chance.

Oh, and I have some really good news! Tomorrow, Brandon and I are going to a wine tasting class...so maybe I'll be able to actually give you some useful information, rather than just "mmm, I like red wine" ;)

Have you tried any new wines lately?


Peace, Love & Bagels,

Wineday Wednesday: 6th Sense Syrah

I smell with one nose, an ancient black rose,

a memory linger, briefly exposed.

I see with two eyes, through shadows and lies,

a secret revealing, wrapped in disguise.

I hear with my ears, three falling tears, 

echoing softly, heightening my fears.

I taste with my tongue, my panics begun, 

four sides enclosed, melded as one.

I touch with my hands, a sinister plan,

five fingers discerning where I do stand.

I sense with my mind, a thought so unkind,

I'm trapped six feel under...

in a bottle of wine.

2005 6th Sense Syrah

Graton, CA

$15.49

I guess my feelings are lukewarm for this Syrah. It has a smell that immediately reminded me of roses, which immediately reminded me of something very sweet. It wasn't too sweet though. It was enjoyable, but not necessarily something I'd go back to over and over again. I bought it because Brandon told me that he recently had a dream about being able to see ghosts...so I thought this was appropriate!

So, would I buy this wine again? Yes, if I was going to dinner at a Bruce Willis fan's home. Also if said Bruce Willis fan enjoyed a red wine that was right in the middle of a light red and a bold red. 

DISCLAIMER/DISCLOSURE: I am, in no way, a wine connoisseur and have had no professional experience with wine tasting or reviewing. My opinions are my own and I am not compensated in any way for them.

Peace, Love & Bagels,

Wineday Wednesday: Gascon Malbec

2009 Gascón Malbec

Mendoza, Argentina

$13.99

This has been my favorite wine for some time now. I am completely enamored with a Malbec from just about any winery, but Don Miguel Gascon has taken the cake for me. It’s very bold and fruity with (as the back label has informed me) a hint of mocha. It’s a pretty dry and very robustly deep purple wine. Also, it’s definitely more in my general, everyday, wine price range than the Rombauer Chardonnay was, although I’ve seen it as high as $19.99 at Acme (or was it Giant Eagle?)

This grape is native to France, but they are more suited for the soil and winds in the Mendoza region of Argentina. From the Gascon website (gasconwine.com):

“As the Malbec adapted, winegrowers selected the best vines and took cuttings to propagate them, creating a genetic pool of Argentine-only Malbec that was thicker-skinned than its French forebears, small berries in tight, flavor-packed clusters, with tannins rounded out by 150-170 days of hang time.

Argentine Malbec most often grows on its own roots, since the absence of pests like Phylloxera reduces the need for site-specific root choices. Traditional winegrowers in Argentina believe that this yields a more pure and concentrated character in the wines.”

Long of the short: this wine is affordable and delicious. If you’re into reds, you’ll love this beautiful bottle!

DISCLAIMER/DISCLOSURE: I am, in no way, a wine connoisseur and have had no professional experience with wine tasting or reviewing. My opinions are my own and I am not compensated in any way for them.


Peace, Love & Bagels, 

Wineday Wednesday: Rombauer Chardonnay

Alright, I know I've got several post series going right now but today, I am officially making "Fun Things Fridays" obsolete and replacing them with Wineday Wednesdays! I read one of Scott's (awesome, might I add)  posts the other day that not only inspired me to seriously ponder life in general, but it reminded me to

So, in that spirit Brandon and I are going to try at least one new bottle of wine per week to review for my awesome readers! This will hopefully help me to expand my vino palate a bit (I tend to stick to South American red wines) which has been an ongoing goal of mine. In fact, at the end of February, Brandon and I are going to attend a wine tasting class, so maybe I'll be able to actually give you a useful review! Please give me your thoughts on this new series and any wine suggestions are very much appreciated!!!

Rombauer Chardonnay

$30

First, my go-to wine is a red wine and certainly doesn't cost $30!! This was a holiday gift from Brandon's cousin who is a bartender and had lots and lots of good things to say about this wine. I have had the Rombauer Zinfindel before (our New Years Eve treat) and it was absolutely glorious! So I had high hopes for this particular vino.

It was a pretty delicious white wine, but a little too sweet for my taste. I'm generally not a fan of chardonnay, but we were certainly able to put away the whole bottle (no surprise there). My first thought was that it smelled kind of flowery, which put me on the defensive for a sweet taste. It is a bit sweet, but not so much that I couldn't drink it.

Overall, it's not something I'd buy for myself but I would definitely buy it for my mommy...she loves white wine. Rombauer makes some excellent wine, so I knew I wouldn't be disappointed.

DISCLAIMER/DISCLOSURE: I am, in no way, a wine connoisseur and have had no professional experience with wine tasting or reviewing. My opinions are my own and I am not compensated in any way for them.

Peace, Love & Bagels,